bleeding "bump" on my face - Cancer: Skin Message Board

cunninj3 · 04-21-2005, 09:03 PM

I just found these forums, and it looks like there's a lot of useful information here, so I'm hoping I can get some advice...

I've had this little bump on the side of my nose for a little over a year now. I've always thought it was related to my rosacea, but every now and then, it bleeds. It will be relatively small, then it will start to get bigger (not in diameter, but more "puffy", if that makes sense), then it will bleed a little bit. After it bleeds, it goes back to being just a tiny little bump.

This cycle of being small, getting bigger, and bleeding has occured about 3-4 times over the last 6-7 months or so - I can't identify a specific trigger that would be causing it (still thought it was rosacea, it could be stress-triggered, but then, I'm always stressed!

)

I made an appointment with a dermatologist back in January, but of course, their office is always packed and my appointment isn't until next month (they didn't seem to be fazed enough that I've got an intermittently bleeding bump of my face to try to find an earlier appointment). I was just doing some reading on Intense-Pulsed-Light treatment for rosacea and I came across something about bleeding moles and I've got to say, I'm a bit freaked at the moment.

Anyone with any thoughts? Is this something that sounds suspicious?

Thanks for any help!
Joanne

Belle2003 · 04-22-2005, 04:24 PM

It could be a small basal cell carcinoma and then it again it might not. They only way to be sure is for a dermatologist to biopsy it. Believe me they cannot tell by just looking at it. My dermatologist thought that both my BCCs were nothing and when biopsyed they came back positive.

Even if it was a BCC, it is slow growing and waiting a month will not hurt. I cannot think of anything that would puff up, bleed, heal and then bleed again other than BCC. Perhaps someone else on this board will have another idea.

cunninj3 · 04-22-2005, 09:04 PM

Thanks for the reply.

I did a quick search on BCC and the some of the photos I saw looked similar to the bump I have - an almost "pearly" look (especailly since my face is usually so red), a tiny "indentation" in it... the only difference is that mine doesn't have the spidery-looking veins in it.

I know it's based on each case in particular, but in general, does removal of these lumps usually leave a lot of scarring? (I know, I sound horribly superficial, sorry - but the thought of having a huge hole next to my nose is enough to turn my stomach right now, and I'm freaked enough to think I may have skin cancer).

Thanks so much for your help.
Joanne

Belle2003 · 04-23-2005, 11:16 AM

You are not superficial. It is your face, the first place people look at when they see/talk to you. You really cannot go by the pictures on the net because both of my BCCs did not look like those. The only similarity was that they were bumps on my skin and the one on my nose kept bleeding off and on. I had a BCC on the side of my nose (left side) and one under my left eye.

When I had MOHS done on my nose, I had this huge indentation. My doctor said that my skin would heal and rise up to the level of the rest on my nose. I must say that I had major doubts that the skin would rise up that much. He was right, and then he used lasers to smooth out the scar and then one to eliminate the redness. This was called reconstruction and was included in the price of the MOHS surgery.

Now my BCC was big circumference wise, unlike yours. It also went pretty deep. He had to cut four times before he got clear margins. So if your bump is like a small pimple, then you have nothing to worry about.

Besides, it could very well not be BCC. If it is BCC, only have a MOHS surgeon remove the rest.

sharoncain · 04-23-2005, 07:11 PM

This is my first post. I am 34 and had my first BCC taken off when I was 30. I had three spots on my face taken off at the same time. One on my forehead, one on my temple and one on my cheek. I had to have the holes packed and go to a plastic surgeon the next day. The one on my temple looked the smallest but ended up being the biggest. I thought it was a pimple, but it never came to a head and didn't go away after a few months. I just had two more spots taken off my back. I'm tired of this. I do not like being cut on. I am doing research on the black salve and seriously considering doing that as there is another spot the doctor wanted to biospy but I declined. My face was the worst just because they had to do reconstructive surgery and I had to go to a different doctor the next day. They did a procedure called Z-plasty, which I'm sure viewers on here have heard of. The scarring is minimal, but definetly noticeable after 52 stitches. The sooner you take care of it the better as far as having them removed. One post mentioned it being a mountain cap, with the peak just above your skin. That is a very good explanation of how BCC forms.